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Long before they understand a single word, most babies love to hear their parents read out loud. After all, storytime combines some of your child's favorite things: snuggles, interesting pictures, fascinating sounds...and, of course, you. By around 6 months of age, your little one will begin understanding simple words as they’re spoken. And by a few months later, storytime will start to get a lot more interactive, with your toddler repeating favorite phrases, requesting multiple readings of favorite books, and pointing to colors, animals and objects as you read their names aloud. Once your toddler understands that storytime is a kind of playtime, you'll have started him on a lifetime of book-loving and learning.

When to expect it: Receptive language (the understanding that words have meaning) develops on a different timeline than expressive language (the ability to say words with meaning) — and your child is likely to understand words in books long before he can say most of them. Between 12 and 18 months of age, many toddlers demonstrate their growing word comprehension by pointing to the colors, animals, characters and objects in a book that they know the words for. Because many toddlers are also continuing to develop fine motor skills at this time, your toddler may particularly love books that have interactive elements, such as flaps, popups and buttons.

Read to your toddler often — it’s so important for many reasons. Toddlers are:

Little word processors. This is the age when children’s vocabularies blossom. Reading reinforces their understanding of the new words they’re learning and the contexts they’re used in — for instance, from the colors of the rainbow to what a rainbow is. It also introduces them to words that they may not encounter in their daily lives, like zebra. As your little one enjoys listening to you, he’ll also pick up new ways to use all those words he’s learning.

Ready to build their literary skills. Reading to a toddler sets the foundation for toddler learning, including mastering ABCs, developing phonemic awareness (meaning he’s starting to understand that words are made up of groups of sounds) and learning that those marks on a page represent letters and words (and things and concepts).

Better prepared for school with books. Although “real” school may seem light-years away, it’s just around the corner (and most kids are expected to start reading, at least on a rudimentary level, in kindergarten). Children who are introduced to reading early tend to read earlier themselves.

Apt to benefit from books about growing up. The road from babyhood to big kid-dom can be bumpy between 1 to 3 or so (saying bye-bye to the bottle, ditching the diapers), not to mention the potential frustrations and fears he may encounter (a new baby sibling to compete with, starting preschool). Reading to a toddler can help you cover these subjects in ways your child can understand, as well as help him adjust to the brave new world he faces.

How to help your baby discover it: The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends reading sessions from infancy on to prepare your child for lifelong success, since kids who are read to as babies have better language skills and are more interested in reading when they start school. Sharing a book also helps babies and parents bond, which the AAP notes is essential for a child's cognitive and social-emotional development. So from an early age, read often to your little one, pointing out objects, characters, animals, colors, textures and sizes in the pictures he sees.

Even if newfound mobility has made your toddler squirmy (Who wants to sit when you've just started to walk? Who wants to be confined — even in that coziest of spots, the one he used to clamor for most — when you've just realized there's a whole world out there to explore?), there are a number of ways you can encourage an engaged book-lover:

Look for books that can live up to a toddler's love. Choose sturdy board books that he can gnaw on, pile up, crawl over and otherwise manhandle. Extra points for audience participation: flaps to lift or textured patches to touch and feel. Your toddler also might like splashing with a vinyl book in the bathtub. Look for illustrations that are bright and familiar: household items, animals and especially other babies and children. As for the words, they should be simple and few in number, so you can keep the pages turning quickly. Rhymes and poems are music to a toddler's ears — many little ones love the rhythm and predictability.

Create a cozy nook. Whether it’s a cushy armchair in the den or a pile of pillows in a corner of your tot’s room, the area where you spend most of your story times should be comfy, inviting and free of distractions. Keep it clear of toys and other temptations, and make sure it’s well lit. A lamp positioned to shine down on the pages of the book from over your shoulder is ideal.

Settle into a reading routine. Read at the same time each day, if possible — ideally when your toddler is wound down rather than hopped up. Right after waking, if your tot is still a little drowsy, is a good time, as is after a bath. Come up with little rituals that can easily be repeated, too, like starting each session by putting your toddler in charge of picking a book from the shelf, and ending by asking him what his favorite part of the story was and why.

Read often. While a routine is best, you can still slip in storytime following lunch, before a nap or after playtime. Some babies even like to listen to a story during meals. Whenever he's alert but calm, it's a great time for a book.

Channel your inner Oscar-winner. Add silly voices and animal sounds. Read in an animated, excited tone, and include lots of commentary, asking questions and offering opportunities for your toddler to show off his comprehension as you go: "Where's the dog?" or "What's on the cat's head?"

Keep it brief. Forget about storytime lasting an hour — or even 15 minutes for a toddler who just can't sit still. Even if you’ve only gotten to page three, if your child can’t stop squirming enough to pay attention, close the book and let him play. If your reading routine becomes a battle, you’ll both start to dread it.

Show him that moms and dads read, too. Let your toddler see you enjoying a book or magazine; you can even read aloud from whatever it is you're perusing. The words aren't as important as your enthusiasm for them. Any exposure to reading builds vocabulary and helps him learn how books work.

What not to worry about: If your toddler's too squirmy to sit on your lap for storytime, let him sit — and wriggle — beside you on the sofa, or even play nearby on the floor. There's a good chance he'll still be listening even if his eyes aren't on the book. And don't feel obliged to read the words precisely as written. Abridge long sentences, swap simpler words for those your toddler doesn't understand, and drop in extra commentary and explanations (as well as sound effects) as needed. Or concentrate on the illustrations if the text of a story isn't engaging your toddler.

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